Erlewine Lazer, headless electric, ~1980s
From Erlewine Guitars: “Designed by Mark Erlewine, and made famous by master bluesman, Johnny Winter, the Lazer is a lightweight, full-scale guitar featuring Erlewine's patented headless tuning system. The Lazer uses regular ball-end strings, locking them at both ends so they really stay in tune. Neck-through-body construction gives the Lazer exceptional sustain. The form-fit body is comfortable to play either standing or sitting, and provides full access to all 24 frets. White pearl stars are inlaid in the rosewood fingerboard. It has a single-coil pickup and a humbucker, so it screams when you want it to - or gives a fat rhythm sound. You get the best of all worlds with an Erlewine Lazer! The Lazer is made of mahogany and has our custom-made Wine-o-matic tuning bridge.”
Length: 31"
Scale: 25.5"
Weight: Approximately 5.4lb
Controls: Volume, Pickup Selector, Push-Pull Tone Pot
Tuners: Patented Wine-o-matic headless bridge system
Hardshell Case: 34.5" X 12" X 4"; 9lb
Pickups: Classic 59 'style humbucker in the bridge position with a push-pull tone pot coil tap and an alnico style single coil pickup in the neck position
Talking about the Lazer, Johnny said, "The closest thing I’ve found to sounding like a Strat and feeling like a Gibson".
Johnny Winter playing his white Erlewine Lazer.
Personal note: I saw Johnny Winter on Nov. 10, 2013, at the Fairfield Theatre StageOne, in Fairfield, Connecticut. Although he was doing very poorly physically at that point in his life, his playing was remarkable as always. I noticed that he was playing the very light Erlewine Lazer headless guitar. My own physical difficulties made me very interested in this kind of guitar and I tried to track one down, with little luck. Johnny died on July 16, 2014. On June 3, 2015, I finally saw a listing on eBay for a white Lazer, and I purchased it.